Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (18-2, 14 KOs) will defend his title against light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier (20-1, 9 KOs, 4 SUBs) at UFC 226 on Saturday, July 7, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET following the FS1 prelims. Bet on the latest UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and get the latest betting previews, predictions and picks now.
Get ready for a champion vs. champion superfight. The UFC recently announced that heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic - fresh off becoming the first heavyweight champion to defend the title three straight times - will meet light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in Las Vegas on July 7. They will serve as opposing coaches on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.
This was an unexpected pairing that caught fans by surprise, but it’s finally a money fight you won’t hear many complaints about. Both men didn’t have clear-cut challengers in their divisions, Miocic needed some sort of marketing push, and DC has an opportunity become a dual-weight champion and move on from Jon Jones.
There’s also the fact that DC is a former heavyweight and has never lost in that division, beating guys like Roy Nelson, Frank Mir, Josh Barnett and Antonio Silva. While he will be the smaller man, Cormier has always found a way to take down Goliaths.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu have already released money lines for this matchup, and there are no surprises here on who the favorite is.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Daniel Cormier +160
Stipe Miocic -190
Over/under 3.5 rounds, over +107, under -122
UFC Odds Analysis
Size especially matters at heavyweight, and Miocic is 6’4”, 250 pounds compared to Cormier’s 5’11”, 220ish. While DC has beaten bigger guys than Miocic, the current heavyweight champ is one of the best natural athletes in the division and arguably it’s most well-rounded fighter.
This is a much more dangerous fight for Cormier. He’ll have to apply his Olympic-caliber wrestling skills against bigger, former D1 wrestler, and Miocic has knocked out five of his last six opponents. Still, Cormier’s one of the craftiest fighters in the game, and training with a healthy Cain Velasquez will be a huge benefit.
We don’t see the odds shifting too much from this point, although it’s definitely possible that Miocic’s money line goes down to -220 or so. We’re also getting a rare round total at 3.5 rounds, which is major respect to how tough Cormier is and how good he is at grinding.
Early UFC Betting Tips
The time to bet Miocic is now, as it’s hard to see his line getting any cheaper. The same goes for betting the rounds over. It’s an even money play right now, but Cormier has only been finished once in his entire career.
UFC Odds Pick: Miocic to win at -190
It’s a pricey pick, but it’s the right one. If Cormier’s line starts moving up close to +200, we’d consider switching our pick. But right now, Miocic to win is playable as a straight play.
UFC Odds Pick: Over 3.5 rounds at +107
Cormier has only ever been finished once in his career, courtesy of a crushing high kick from Jon Jones. Miocic is a crusher for sure, but DC is as tough as they come and damn near impossible to stop. Even when he’s in trouble, he’s got a ton of crafty tricks to grind through the tricky patches.
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UFC 226 takes place on Saturday, July 7, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET following the FS1 prelims.
